- Moderator
- #1
I posted this in CDZ because I want to explore this troubling mine field of labeling, suffering, and ostracizing groups in a civil matter. My position is that “isms” are dangerous, whether race, faith or ethnic group, they enevitably lead to human tragedy and there is no valid justification for those views.
Islamophobia is a really inaccurate term for the rhetoric of demonization and seperation that marks “isms”...Anti Muslimism might be better.
One of the things I find troubling is how many people who denounce anti-semitism will turn around and justify Islamophobia. Likewise, those who support Palestinian rights will turn around and deny the same rights to Jews. And they can’t see what they are doing.
What do they have in common?
They target a minority population in a country.
They promote disinformation and conspiracy theory about “the other”.
They utilize fear mongering.
They broad brush the other, painting the entire population around the world by the actions of a few, individuality is denied, acts of individual nations are ignored because the whole is held responsible.
They deny identity...Jews aren’t a people, Islam is not a religion.
They promote violence, wether tacitly or overtly.
They distort history.
They distort religion.
They scapegoat.
There is no question violence against innocent people occurs, whether it is the Holocaust or the genocide of today’s Rohinga. Or, terrorist attacks on a Jewish school or terrorist attacks on A Sikh Temple. I do not understand why it is impossible for some to see both as reprehensible, dangerous and to be denounced without reservation.
When I was looking for articles for this OP, I searched for “Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are the same thing” and I was surprised by the number of articles passionately denouncing that they were the same, mostly by Jewish authors while others saw the parallels. One author pointed out something interesting as well, the Jewish ownership of the Holocaust as a unique event that is incomparable to any other thus anti-semitism can not be comparable to any other “ism”. These are really touchy topics to discuss, but the author makes valid points, humanity is hardwired to commit genocide, it occurred in ancient world, it occurred in the “modern world” and it occurs today. It is the ultimate end result of “isms” and it is usually preceded by the same tactics and rhetoric designed to dehumanize, seperate, criminalize, and alienate the other. The “other” can never be a true citizen, they are a fifth column, they can’t be trusted, etc.
A couple of articles, food for thought. Quora isn’t an article, but a collection of responses to a question. Still it is revealing for what people think.
https://www.quora.com/Is-Islamophob...emitism-vs-contemporary-historic-Islamophobia
Most disagree with similarities...mostly by justifying Islamophobia. This one caught my eye though:
And this article offers another view:
Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism: Different Religions, Same Hate
Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism: Different Religions, Same Hate
Islamophobia Denialism
This bifurcation between Jews and Muslims costs both religions critical allies who could help each other fight against religious bigotry. Whether Jews wish to acknowledge this commonality or not, our historical plight as “the hated ones” shares much with Muslims. To give but one small example: while I don’t think much of the spectacle of Israelis (in Paris, an Israeli Jewish journalist and in Berlin, an Israeli Palestinian) who don kippot in Arab neighborhoods daring Muslims to assault them, the truth is that this is precisely the same form of bigotry Muslim women who wear the hijab and Sikh men who wear the turban, endure.
If we were smart, we would make a common alliance to fight this scourge, not separate ourselves by making our victimization worse than anyone else’s.
That last line can just as easily apply to Muslims, particularly in Europe where they are a minority under attack, yet they attack another minority under attack, Jews. Anti-semitism is prevalent among Muslims today but too few challenge it.
Islamophobia is a really inaccurate term for the rhetoric of demonization and seperation that marks “isms”...Anti Muslimism might be better.
One of the things I find troubling is how many people who denounce anti-semitism will turn around and justify Islamophobia. Likewise, those who support Palestinian rights will turn around and deny the same rights to Jews. And they can’t see what they are doing.
What do they have in common?
They target a minority population in a country.
They promote disinformation and conspiracy theory about “the other”.
They utilize fear mongering.
They broad brush the other, painting the entire population around the world by the actions of a few, individuality is denied, acts of individual nations are ignored because the whole is held responsible.
They deny identity...Jews aren’t a people, Islam is not a religion.
They promote violence, wether tacitly or overtly.
They distort history.
They distort religion.
They scapegoat.
There is no question violence against innocent people occurs, whether it is the Holocaust or the genocide of today’s Rohinga. Or, terrorist attacks on a Jewish school or terrorist attacks on A Sikh Temple. I do not understand why it is impossible for some to see both as reprehensible, dangerous and to be denounced without reservation.
When I was looking for articles for this OP, I searched for “Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are the same thing” and I was surprised by the number of articles passionately denouncing that they were the same, mostly by Jewish authors while others saw the parallels. One author pointed out something interesting as well, the Jewish ownership of the Holocaust as a unique event that is incomparable to any other thus anti-semitism can not be comparable to any other “ism”. These are really touchy topics to discuss, but the author makes valid points, humanity is hardwired to commit genocide, it occurred in ancient world, it occurred in the “modern world” and it occurs today. It is the ultimate end result of “isms” and it is usually preceded by the same tactics and rhetoric designed to dehumanize, seperate, criminalize, and alienate the other. The “other” can never be a true citizen, they are a fifth column, they can’t be trusted, etc.
A couple of articles, food for thought. Quora isn’t an article, but a collection of responses to a question. Still it is revealing for what people think.
https://www.quora.com/Is-Islamophob...emitism-vs-contemporary-historic-Islamophobia
Most disagree with similarities...mostly by justifying Islamophobia. This one caught my eye though:
Yes, it is. The arguments are pretty much the same:
The Jews were responsible for bringing negroes into the Rhineland, with the ultimate idea of bastardizing the white race which they hate and thus lowering its cultural and political level so that the Jew might dominate. For as long as a people remain racially pure and are conscious of the treasure of their blood, they can never be overcome by the Jew. Never in this world can the Jew become master of any people except a bastardized people.
– Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, 1925.
- “Mass immigration of Muslims is destroying European culture.”
- “Mass immigration of Jews is destroying the European race.”
- “Muslims can't be trusted. Not all are terrorists, but most support terrorism.”
- “Jews can't be trusted. Not all are bolsheviks, but most support communism.”
- “Islam is a religion of violence.”
- “Judaism is a religion of deceit.”
- “Muslims will outnumber Europeans in Europe because they have more children.”
- “Jews will outnumber Europeans in Europe because they have a child every year.”
The Jews were responsible for bringing negroes into the Rhineland, with the ultimate idea of bastardizing the white race which they hate and thus lowering its cultural and political level so that the Jew might dominate. For as long as a people remain racially pure and are conscious of the treasure of their blood, they can never be overcome by the Jew. Never in this world can the Jew become master of any people except a bastardized people.
– Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, 1925.
And this article offers another view:
Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism: Different Religions, Same Hate
Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism: Different Religions, Same Hate
Islamophobia Denialism
Many Jews expend considerable amounts of energy denying that Islamophobia exists or, if it exists, that it is nowhere near as threatening or potent to its Muslim victims as anti-Semitism is to Jews. Part of the reason for this denial is that many Jews view Muslims and Arabs as enemies of Israel. This fear and mistrust itself often becomesIslamophobia. But even if it doesn’t, Jews who blame these two groups for Israel’s predicament can ill-afford to see any commonality with their perceived enemy.
This bifurcation between Jews and Muslims costs both religions critical allies who could help each other fight against religious bigotry. Whether Jews wish to acknowledge this commonality or not, our historical plight as “the hated ones” shares much with Muslims. To give but one small example: while I don’t think much of the spectacle of Israelis (in Paris, an Israeli Jewish journalist and in Berlin, an Israeli Palestinian) who don kippot in Arab neighborhoods daring Muslims to assault them, the truth is that this is precisely the same form of bigotry Muslim women who wear the hijab and Sikh men who wear the turban, endure.
If we were smart, we would make a common alliance to fight this scourge, not separate ourselves by making our victimization worse than anyone else’s.
That last line can just as easily apply to Muslims, particularly in Europe where they are a minority under attack, yet they attack another minority under attack, Jews. Anti-semitism is prevalent among Muslims today but too few challenge it.
